


The Heavy Burdens of Time

by Saku777



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M, Historical Hetalia, canonnverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:40:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23439322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saku777/pseuds/Saku777
Summary: As she spends time with Lithuania Belarus unwillingly reflects on some of their past and her grievances with him, while he is unknowing of this. Despite that and the difficulties they may have, he remains by her side.
Relationships: Belarus/Lithuania (Hetalia)
Kudos: 8





	The Heavy Burdens of Time

The golden gilt sun of early autumn hung in the clear blue sky overhead a dappled forest bright with splashes of red, yellow, and orange as leaves quaked cheerily in a light breeze.

In the light of the autumn afternoon Belarus crawled around on her gloved hands and stocking clad knees looking for mushrooms. It was one of her favorite pastimes every fall and nothing could dissuade her from it. Her light pink dress flowed behind her and her blue ribbon fluttered in the breeze as she continued to look, completely absorbed in her task. 

The sight made Lithuania catch his breath and he blessed his good luck in deciding to wander Poland, and now Belaruss woods after that meeting with him was done. Normally a silent forest walker, distraction made him careless and as he edged closer he stepped on a number of dry twigs.

She stood up, her eyes rapidly looking for the source of that noise and her hands gathering into fists as she clutched the folds of her dress. He stopped ad she spotted him. 

“Tch, and what the fuck are you doing here?” she asked, more annoyed than anything else and clearly sounding so. But she was not totally displeased and this bothered her even more. She just couldn't understand it. 

“Ah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was just taking a walk. It’s a nice day after all. I didn’t expect to see you here. “ 

“Liar,” she said harshly. “You know this is my part of the woods, yet you wandered in, you idiot. Like a fucking pervert or stalker, I bet you’re both.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. 

“Well I suppose I could leave you alone if you wish.” He was rather crestfallen though and it showed on his already melancholy face. Really he would rather stay with her.

At the sight she felt something stir within her heart, something she could not name, place, or understand, but it made her say, “Öh no you don’t you dick sucker. As punishment now you have to help me as long as I wish.” She stomped her foot upon the dirt.

‘O what a wonderful punishment’, he thought. He tried not to look too happy as he said aloud, “”I guess since this is your home I really have no choice”

”That’s right, you don’t you asswipe. Now get down and help me pick mushrooms.”

Now he was even more delighted. He loved picking mushrooms and so he nodded resolutely, “understood” and did just that. 

Several hours of this passed, mostly in silence but a few times they spoke amongst themselves.. Industrious and focused they gathered many mushrooms and as they gathered up their quary Belarus lifted her head up and looked at him.

Her thoughts wandered across years and centuries and she remembered a similar scene ages ago when both were younger in the days of the duchy. Life was harsher then, but things between them, though always complex, were also so much more simple and warm.

She remembered is wolf brown hair and forest green eyes, present still but also so far away and how she puzzled at yet permitted his pagan ways and he did the same for her orthodox faith, and so they lived in tandem.

She remembered how that slowly began to change when the commonwealth was formed and Poland arrived. For a moment it felt like it was happening all over once more.

A small slight pale girl feeling her breath and fists tighten as one by one, no love from them, her nobility flocked to the more fashionable, more politically advantageous Poland, with only a few hold outs and the simple peasantry keeping her in their hearts. 

Of course none of this was forced, but perhaps that made the pain even more terrible and of course that didn’t mean there was no pressure. So it was simply easier to speak Polish during the rare times she was summoned to court, to dress in Polish ways while there too, and even to become Catholic like Poland as well. It was easier to bow her head down and take what was given to her. But still these were not her ways and that was one of the things that kept her alive, the knowledge of that. 

She also remembered Lithuania and as she did her heart was burdened with pain and anguish. She could almost see before her eyes how it seemed so suddenly he no longer spent as much time with her and even seemed to forget his old self, taking up Poland's ways more and more. Her companion was gone, he abandoned her, and it was then in her rage and resentment she realized how dear he was to her. 

It was all Poland's fault, and yet even that was not the end of it, Poland would not let it end here, since even decades later, his fight with her brother over her and ripping her and her people in two was still fresh in her mind. Russia was at fault here too, but of course she refused to see this. Instead she chose to remember how Poland tried to take what little she even had, stealing her language and her people from her western lands, always wanting more and more, and using his own suffering to justify it. And Lithuania, had he even noticed or cared? She thought not, after all he had been so willing to discard her for politics long ago.

Her thoughts continued to swirl in her mind and in the physical world her hands began to shake.

Lithuania noticed, and with concern in his eyes he shook her gently, “”Natasha, Natasha, are you alright?” 

Her eyes darted up to rest on him, and gripping his hand harshly she blurted out, “’I fucking hate you.” 

Lithuania stared at her, surprised but not really hurt or dismayed. “Did you have a bad thought or memory?” He hadn’t done anything, so it couldn’t be that. 

She looked at his face, full of concern and notice the lack of fear or anger in his voice and body. She had no idea what to do. She half wanted to run off yelling, but merely sat there instead and looked down at her still clenched fists. She had no idea what to say so she merely said, “Shut up.” Then she crawled on her hands and knees over to him and drew closer. 

Lithuania's heart began beating rapidly and he felt himself grow hot, but he tried to remain calm, since he had no idea what she might do. Even that was a little exciting though..

Then frowning, she took his face between her hands and drew it even closer. She looked right into his eyes for moment, then let his face go and began to rub the long sides of his hair between her hands. they were so soft and silky, how nice and calming it was to feel them. 

Lithuania merely smiled, for he was rather used to this and found it endearing. “Do you feel better?” he asked.

“None of your fucking business,”she said, but her voice and face were a good deal calmer and more tranquil and finally she sighted softly, her eyes growing more serene.

**Author's Note:**

> Mushroom hunting is widely done in Belarus, in fact one year many posted instagrams of the many huge loads they collected. I headcanon Belarus as a nature loving girl, who isn't worried about getting dirty.
> 
> During the Duchy of Lithuania the country was pagan, only becoming Catholic after uniting with Poland. However there were many Orthodox from the acquisition of Polotsk who I headcanon Belarus as. During this time the Ruthenian culture also became influential and politically powerful, with Ruthenian being used in court and official documents.
> 
> During the Polish Lithuanian Commonweath Polish superseded Ruthenian as the language and culture of influence. Many Baltic and Ruthenian nobility willingly became Polanized due to the social and political benefits. However some Ruthenian nobles resisted this and kept their Slavic identity and Orthodox faith, as did much of the Ruthenian peasantry. Some of these peasants, especially those in modern day Ukraine turned to the Cossaks as they undertook violent resistance to Polish influence.  
> During the Second Polish Republic from 1918 to 1939 and after the Polish Soviet war' Polonization became more coercive with authorities closing Belarusian schools (before 1921 there were 514 and in 1928 only 69. All were gone by 1939) and outlawing use of Belarusian in state institutions, and refusing to let priests hold mass in Belarusian. Some even saw Belarusian language as lesser than that of Polish denigrating it as shabby and simple. "They want to switch from the rich Polish Language to one the people themselves call simple and shabby" - 1921 Assimilation was seen by some to be key to unifying the state. 
> 
> Polish official Leopold Skulski - "I assure you that in some ten years you won't be able to find a single Belarusian (in West Belarus). West Belarus was seen as a land needed for colonization.
> 
> During the republic various protests were held by Belarusian partisans against these measures, to no avail
> 
> During the Polish Soviet war Belarus was divided between Poland getting west Belarus and the USSR getting the east with no say from the Belarusians.


End file.
